The Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District (BID), in collaboration with the Town of Barnstable’s Planning & Development Department and MassDevelopment’s TDI partnership, will host an Open Streets “AFTER PARTY” event from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at the Mariner Café, located at 282 Main Street, Hyannis. This free and open to the public event will piggyback the Greater Hyannis Civic Association’s Open Streets event happening on Main Street immediately prior. In addition to the music and activity filled event that Open Streets promises to be, this year’s event hosts a special “AFTER PARTY” which aims to extend the focus and fun festivities into the eastern most end of Main Street featuring businesses and the gateway entry point into the Village.

 

The Open Streets “After Party” is part of a broader community effort to promote economic growth and community involvement in Hyannis. It builds on the success of the Transformative Development Initiative (TDI), a three-year program led by MassDevelopment to foster partnerships and strengthen local initiatives in Gateway Cities like Hyannis. Under the leadership of TDI Fellow Josie Santos, the Hyannis TDI partnership has brought together local businesses, arts organizations, and community members to create impactful placemaking projects.

 

About “Build Your Block: A Seat at the Table”

The Build Your Block project, which kicked off last month, was designed to spark discussion and raise awareness of public participation in local government decisions. The twelve (12) plywood blocks have been displayed throughout the Hyannis Main Street area, inviting residents and visitors alike to engage in important themes such as transportation, local businesses, housing, ecology, beautification, and arts and culture. The project made possible by a $16,000 MassDevelopment cohort grant, is dedicated to stimulating creative placemaking, civic engagement, and economic development in the district.

 

Come for the traditional Open Streets fun and stay for even more entertainment, activities and food! The ‘After Party’ program highlights the TDI’s collective work in creating the boxes and celebrates the placemaking achievements of the partnership with an engaging agenda:

 

  • A collective, finished, Unveiling of the Blocks will occur on at the open space parklet next to the Mariner Café.

 

  • The Hyannis Film Festival will show short films as a program additive; a mix of drama, comedy, and thriller short videos from filmmakers who are part of the Cape Cod Film Collaborative.

 

  • Music is provided by local band The Northern Lights, an acoustic band, featuring Wendy Kaiser Smith on lead vocals and her husband, Stephen Smith, on guitar, that plays a wide variety of popular songs in soft rock, americana, folk, blues, classic rock, and pop genres.

 

  • Sophia Flowers, the Typewriter Poet, will be on site to interact with attendees and create unique and individual poetry concerning thoughts on community and planning theory at large. These poems will be shared aloud as part of a collective storytelling experience, adding another layer to the ongoing community engagement efforts.

 

  • Take advantage of the local restaurants and enjoy delicious offerings when you pop into the Mariner Café or grab a beer or wine from Bread and Roses at the event. Big Tree Media will be on hand to capture all the fun to share on social media.

 

Come celebrate the Build your Block – A SEAT at the TABLE project, and enjoy an afternoon of art, music, storytelling, and community celebration as we honor the collective efforts of local artists, businesses, and residents in making Hyannis a vibrant and engaging place to live and visit.

 

For more information, please visit: https://businessbarnstable.com/tdi/

 

ABOUT THE PARTNERS:

MassDevelopment: Established by the Massachusetts Development and Finance Agency, the TDI (Transformative Development Initiative) program is designed to promote economic growth and sustainability in walkable commercial districts in Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities.

Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District (BID):  Promotes the community and economic development of the Main Street, Hyannis district as a desirable place to live, work, invest and visit.

Hyannis HyArts Cultural District: The first, state designated cultural district on Cape Cod, HyArts is a long-established commitment to making arts and culture an important facet of the Town’s economic development strategy as the arts are often undervalued for the contribution they play in a stable, well-educated, vibrant community to assist and encourage new business, job growth and tourism.

Greater Hyannis Chamber of Commerce: The Greater Hyannis Chamber of Commerce provides in-depth information about Hyannis and the Town of Barnstable to visitors, businesses and residents. Their mission is to be the premier force in promoting and enhancing a healthy business environment and to continually inform and educate the public about Barnstable and the Seven Villages.

Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce: The Cape Cod Chamber combines the resources and talents of its members to create an exchange of ideas and best practices that will open your eyes to new opportunities. We know small businesses, and we can provide you with tools and resources to help your business grow and thrive.

The Cordial Eye: The Cordial Eye is a community arts organization based in Hyannis that strives to use the arts and arts education as a tool for expanding the definition of who belongs on Cape Cod and what it means to be a creative person here. We are dedicated to dismantling systems of oppression in our community by creating space for marginalized groups to amplify their impact in creating a more just and equitable world, through gathering, experimentation, exhibitions, and cultural expression.

 Hyannis Film Festival: Celebrating five years of bringing the art and culture of filmmaking back to downtown Hyannis that enhances cultural and economic growth for surrounding communities.